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Winter skincare - picking the right products for a thirsty complexion

Winter Skin Care solutions

It may be its dreamy floral fragrance, its buttery texture, or the fact that your mother has always trusted it that you adopted your go-to face cream, but have you done your due diligence to find out if your moisturizer is the best one for you?

Wintertime may be the best time to revisit your skin care regime. The atmosphere during the cool months contains significantly less water than it does during the humid summer months, leaving your skin extra thirsty for nourishment. The cream that satisfied your skin – face and body - last spring won’t have the same strength against the winter season, and your skin may react by suffering such maladies as scaly legs, cracked lips and red, flaky cheeks. Though piling on the cream may seem like the obvious solution, over-applying can make it difficult for your pores to breathe and ultimately lead to congestion.

In addition to hydration, awareness of what exactly you’re putting on your skin can help avoid unnecessary pimples, prevent fine lines and protect you from experiencing allergic reactions you didn’t realize you were having. We tend to think oil equals blocked pores, pimples or a greasy complexion. But you may be surprised know oil is exactly where you need to begin and to learn that not all oils are not created equal.

Kristen Ma, owner and founder of Pure + Simple, a holistic spa in Toronto with its own line of natural products, uses oil for everything from washing her face to preventing hair from falling out. Realizing the difference between mineral oil and an essential oil is the first step to understanding how oil can work for you. As Ma explained it to me, mineral oil is petroleum based oil, and non-mineral oils are derived from natural sources like plans and nuts.

Mineral oil-based products you’ll find in the average medicine cabinet include Vaseline and Johnson&Johnson Baby Oil, amongst countless others. Many beauty experts will speak ill of the integrity of petroleum being ingested by your skin, but Ma focuses more so on their inability to hydrate. “The molecules in mineral oil are too large to penetrate your skin fully, so your complexion isn’t fully absorbing the oil – it’s just sitting on the surface.” As a runner, I realize the benefit of oil with this quality – chafing is seriously uncomfortable – but as a fan of clear skin, I’m happy to know an alternative solution.

On the other hand, oils from almonds, hazelnuts, olive, rose, geranium and aloe vera are naturally derived and have various densities to penetrate your skin at various levels. Natural oils benefit skin types and afflictions, in part, depending on their “temperature”.

According to Ma, the term “heat” in skincare refers to blood circulation. The fattier oils, like avocado and sesame oil, tend to be more warming and encourage blood circulation, which is an excellent anti-aging quality. Cooler oils, which are thinner in consistency and quicker to absorb, are great for calming inflammation which, in the winter, you’ll recognize as ruby-red cheeks and ruptured capillaries from frequently blowing your nose.

To test an oil’s fattiness Ma recommends dropping a little on the back of your hand then tilting it back and forth. “If it’s dragging on your skin because it’s so rich and thick and sticky, that’s a warming, high-in-fat oil.” The more its consistency resembles water, the more cooling the oil will be.

Beyond texture, looking into its active properties will help you decipher which oil is for you. Says Ma, “Each oil has individual qualities, vitamins and antioxidants.” Some oils, like rosehip oil, are stimulating and will therefore cause some people to break out. Not because it is clogging, but because of its ability to stimulate.

“When you stimulate your circulation, pores purge toxins from your skin, which is great. You get blood flowing and stimulate lymphatic congestion and even digestive congestion – movement in your body is really important”. If your skin tends to break out, a cooling oil would be better for you.

One use for oil I would never have predicted, but will be happy to employ in January and February, is to warm my freezing hands. Next time you’re in from shoveling the driveway, try a few drops of sesame oil to warm your paws in a jiffy, no steaming cup of coffee required.

If you usually use drugstore brands , don’t fret – there are many mass-market options available that don’t contain mineral oil, or petroleum. Keep your eye out for ingredients with the prefixes like “para” or “petro”, or if you don’t recognize something, search it on the website www.ewg.org, to investigate its origin.

You may find serums that contain combinations of oils, often grouped for particular purposes like “anti-aging” and “sensitive skin”. Many of the anti-aging products will contain a collection of warming, fatty oils, and many of the products for sensitive skin will contain thinner, cooling oils. Even if you choose to keep using your favourite cream, simply adding a serum or oil to your routine will add an extra level of hydration and help prevent fine lines or flaky skin.

Finally, there’s nothing wrong with purchasing your new beauty product at the grocery or healthfood store. After all, if it’s on the shelves, it’s safe to eat and ingest. However, Ma recommends choosing an oil that has solidified. If they’re always in liquid form, they likely contain additives. Just warm up the solid oil in your hand before applying, and voila! Your new skin cream hath arrived.

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